The Impossible Dream

None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or commanding except when he listens to this whisper which is heard by him alone. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

One a recent Sunday morning in Bloomington, 2,000 people were asked to do something extraordinary. They were asked to think about their passions, their dreams, and what is keeping them from pursuing that thing that ‘keeps them up at night.’ Then they were asked to write it down, walk to the front (or back) of a room, and pin their big dream on a piece of fabric for the world to see. As I sat and watched all those people willingly walk forward with their dreams and place them out there for the world to see, I began to think again about the things that keep my heart racing and inspire me to get up in the morning.

Some of my dreams, I admit, don’t seem that “BIG.” My biggest dream? To write a book. To use my pen and paper to write something that someone else wants to read. But, compared to other people’s big dreams for God, I didn’t think that was enough. And then I read my friend Korry’s blog. And, what he had to say about his dream made me think differently about mine. My dream – although not exactly “Christian” in nature – can still be used by God to make a difference, to further Him, and to reveal Him to others. Does that mean I need to resign myself to writing Christian fiction? I don’t think so. I think it means I need to follow my dreams with my whole heart and know that God is in control of them and that He gave me these dreams for a reason and I should follow them, no matter how unimportant I think they might be.

I am reminded of the lyrics to one of my favorite Broadway songs, “The Impossible Dream” from Man of LaMancha

To dream the impossible dream

To fight the unbeatable foe

To bear with unbearable sorrow

To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong

To love pure and chaste from afar

To try when your arms are too weary

To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest

To follow that star

No matter how hopeless

No matter how far

To fight for the right

Without question or pause

To be willing to march into Hell

For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true

To this glorious quest

That my heart will lie peaceful and calm

When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this

That one man, scorned and covered with scars

Still strove with his last ounce of courage

To reach the unreachable star

My dream is mine – given to me by God to do something big. Not following my dream because I don’t think it is a huge as other people’s dreams doesn’t make sense – it makes me a coward.